Silvio Dante

Silvio Manfred Dante (June 1957-) was the consigliere of the DiMeo crime family under Tony Soprano.

Biography
Silvio Manfred Dante was born in Newark, New Jersey in June 1957 to a family of Italian immigrants from Calabria. His father, Joseph "Beppo" Dante, was a soldier in the DiMeo crime family who was whacked in 1959. Dante was a childhood friend of Tony Soprano, Ralph Cifaretto, and Jackie Aprile Sr., and he originally planned to become a professional singer before entering a life of crime with his friends. He owned numerous clubs in North Jersey, and he became a made man in the family. Dante would support Soprano when he became capo following his father's death, and he helped Soprano to plan hits on Chucky Signore and Mikey Palmice during the short-lived mob war with Junior Soprano in 1999. Dante was known to get along with everyone, to be level-headed, and to be able to mediate disputes. Dante's day-to-day role was managing the Bada Bing strip club, becoming a major meeting spot for the family, as well as a brothel.

Dante was known for his role in executing traitors such as Jimmy Altieri, Salvatore Bonpensiero, Adriana La Cerva, and Burt Gervasi. He also became known as one of Soprano's closest advisers, counseling him through tough decisions. He served as acting boss of the Soprano family after Soprano entered a coma after his delirious uncle shot him, but he faced asthma attacks caused by his anxiety, and he could not handle the pressure of being boss. After Soprano recovered from his coma, Dante returned to his comfortable position as consigliere, and he played a leadership role in the family when war broke out with the Lupertazzi crime family. He executed Gervasi for collaborating with the Lupertazzis, but he was later shot in his car by Lupertazzi hitmen. He entered a coma, and the doctors said that it was most likely that he would not be able to leave it.